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Bottle Rocket (1993)
A solid directorial short debut.
Bottle Rocket is Wes Anderson's first short film and his debut as a director and writer. It was unveiled at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival and was later remade into a motion picture by Wes Anderson.
I take inspiration from this short film because it's good source material. Lots of low-budget short films and movies take themselves too seriously and end up looking terrible, but films like Bottle Rocket (along with Clerks and Napoleon Dynamite on those lines) know their boundaries and limitations, and that's what makes them great.
The acting by Luke and Owen Wilson and Robert Musgrave isn't terrible and is actually pretty good. The cinematography is beautiful, even in B&W. Wes Anderson does one of the best jobs at making any film of his look colorful, even if there is no color.
I suggest this film to anyone interested in filmmaking or the history of movies. After all, one of our greatest movie directors came from this one short film.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
A great movie for this generation to enjoy.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is Edgar Wright and Bryan Lee O'Malley's American- Canadian-Japanese-English thrill ride of a movie with a fitting soundtrack, striking visuals, intriguing characters, and a simple yet complex plot.
The movie follows Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year-old lovable loser and bassist for his and his friend's rock band, "Sex Bob-omb" in the mysterious land of Toronto, Canada. He starts dating a 17-year-old Chinese girl, but when the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, starts to skate into his life, he goes after her instead, but love always hurts - and this time I mean it. Scott must fight Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to win her heart. Rock music, video game-like battles, and vegans ensue.
But the movie isn't for everyone - especially an older audience. It's intended for the younger generation, especially those that grew up on classic video games, the movie's littered with references to Nintendo's cult game series "The Legend of Zelda", which is also my favorite game. Most older viewers won't find the movie appealing but to the marketed audience it's definitely a great film.
My only complaint is that in the first 15-25 minutes the movie kind of jumped in on the story. Events were happening so fast it was sort of hard to understand, but about 30 minutes in you realize it's because Scott is in a dream-like trance because of Ramona, and the movie slows down.
All in all, if you're a major comic book, movie, or video game geek, and if you're young enough to appreciate it, you will love this movie a lot. I'm kind of surprised it hasn't gained a cult following, as this is only one of four mediums of the Scott Pilgrim franchise. Definitely check them all out when you get a chance.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
A low-budget, comical, hilarious adventure for everyone.
I've heard of this movie for years. Never seen it until last night. I've tried to get my hands on a copy of it, yet it's not on Neflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, or Amazon.com. Finally last night we rented a copy from a local video store. I've heard so much about how the movie is the funniest and most hilarious movies ever, and while watching it, I did laugh a whole lot. It was a good, innocent (in a good way), hilarious film.
It makes use of it's $220,000 budget - which inflated to today's standards is a little less than 1 million - and it uses clever, complex, witty dialogue, skit-like scenes, and fourth-wall breaks to make it's jokes, which succeed impressively.
It's unexpected randomness is also what makes it funny, the animated segments keep the movie colorful, and the outrageous things our heroes come across make the movie as unique as can be.
The only other real movie that has accomplished this is Napoleon Dynamite (2004) - which has a smaller budget then The Holy Grail - it uses clever dialogue, random events, and skit-like scenes that give it a deserved cult status and make it one of the most quotable films ever.
Definitely watch it. It truly lives up to the expectation, and it may take more than one viewing to catch everything, but it's an absurd, crazy thrill ride of a film and is mandatory viewing for all human beings.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
A Great Movie that Should be Watched by Everyone.
Good Will Hunting is a movie about Will Hunting, a misunderstood poor boy from South Boston, who has a genius-level IQ and works as a janitor at a university. He solves a near-impossible math problem that takes professionals years to master, and is given the offer to be one of the smartest mathematicians ever, but after getting in a fight with a police officer, he is sent to Dr. Sean Maguire to have therapy sessions. What starts as a reluctant bonding session turns into a budding friendship that changes his world.
For one, let me talk about the story behind this film. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon both starred and wrote this movie, (both of them unknown at the time) and ever since then, it's one of the most successful indie films of all time.
I think everyone should watch this movie. I say that about a lot of films but this time I mean it. It gives older adults a look at what a teenager/college student's life is like, and it gives younger viewers a look at what to expect, and a guide to surviving it.
Not only that, but all the actors and actresses do an amazing job. Most people know Robin Williams as a funny actor, but this is his best and most serious role. He's better as a serious actor then a comedy actor in my opinion. Sort of like how Jim Carrey was good in The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and those are all serious flicks.
Seriously, check this film out. Definitely mandatory viewing for everyone.
Cloverfield (2008)
An actually good "found footage" movie.
The monster movie genre died, and Cloverfield was it's last breath. While it didn't bring the genre back, the "Clover Monster" is know as recognizable as Godzilla or King Kong to most movie fans. And it's easy to see why.
The movie is quite simple, it follows 5 friends - Rob, Lilly, Marlena, Jason, and Hud, as they flee from Rob's going away party to rescue their friend Beth while a 200 ft-tall monster unleashes hell on New York City.
Except for T.J. Miller, I knew most no one in the film and the acting is actually really good. It's writing is good too, everything is scripted to seem like real life, and it does a good job of it. It has a simple subplot and thank gosh the movie doesn't have the Clover Monster as the main character.
This movie is definitely the best modern-day monster movie. We don't see a lot, and most are bad. Pacific Rim (2013) wasn't bad, but Godzilla (2014) wanted to have a subplot like Cloverfield, and failed, and King Kong (2005) tried to make the large ape a character to relate to, yet that obviously is impossible.
My only complaints would be just a tad bit more screen time for the Clover Monster, and also a good backstory for the beast. I had to look it up, but it makes sense and also ties in with the subplot and main character in an ironic and kind of funny way. I won't say it because it may count as a spoiler. But I think I can live wit these problems.
At the sound of it, Cloverfield sounds like an unbearable movie to watch, and it's not The Shawshank Redemption (1994) or The Dark Knight (2008) but it's good. It's a solid action/horror film that deserves another look and a higher rating from critics and moviegoers.
Now excuse me, I have to go watch 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) because I want to know just what the heck happened at the end there. Seriously, what happened right before the movie ended? Does anyone know?
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)
One of (if not) the greatest films of all time.
When I hear "3hr run time" I sigh. Few movies that clock in at 3 hours please me. Apocalypse Now Redux had me bored two hours in, King Kong (2005 version) was too stretched out, and while I love them, the Lord of the Rings films could've been shorter.
But Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is an exception. Never will there be a movie as classic or timeless as this. It's gritty, brutal, realistic, and unpredictable. The acting and cinematography are put to great use, and thank gosh, it knows when to shut up and let the score do the talking.
The film has a simple plot, which I feel makes it better. It's about three gunslingers who race to find $20,000 in gold. It's simple enough that a moron could enjoy it as equally as a genius would.
And the writing isn't even the best part. Ennio Morricone's classic score is one of the best in cinema history, and Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach's acting is superb. Place that in with intense gunfights, a smooth Civil War battle scene, and one of the best movie endings of all time, and you've got one of the greatest movies ever.
"There are two kinds of people, my friend. Those who love this movie and those who dig... You dig".